US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the government will redirect $500 million from the development of new mRNA vaccines to other, as he put it, safer technological platforms. The decision sparked controversial reactions among scientists and national security experts. This was reported by Axios, writes UNN.
Details
On Tuesday, US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the country is changing its approach to vaccination. Half a billion dollars, previously planned for the development of new mRNA vaccines, will now go to the creation of "safer and more versatile" vaccine technologies.
"We are redirecting this funding to safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate," Kennedy Jr. said.
According to the minister, the new platforms should remain effective even when viruses mutate. He emphasized that studies have shown that current mRNA vaccines do not always provide good protection against upper respiratory tract infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza.
Among the projects that will be curtailed are a grant to Moderna for the creation of a vaccine against avian influenza H5N1. Proposals from Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur, which were part of BARDA's rapid response program, have also been canceled.
However, several contracts for the final stage of vaccine production, including against pandemic avian influenza, will still be completed so as not to lose the taxpayer money already invested. The government will no longer initiate new mRNA-based projects.
The decision has already drawn criticism from part of the scientific community. Experts remind that no vaccine against respiratory viruses – from COVID to influenza – provides complete protection against infection. Their main task is to reduce the number of severe cases and deaths.
Recall
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting funding for research on gain-of-function that enhances pathogens.
Meanwhile, WHO member states have developed an agreement on the exchange of medical technologies for preparation for future pandemics. The agreement will stimulate technology transfer, but on mutually agreed terms.